The highest continuous paved road in America is closed for the season as of Wednesday. Trail Ridge Road though Rocky Mountain National Park closes each year once the snow begins to pile up and travel gets risky.

The road has closed intermittently because of weather since Oct. 11. The Oct. 17 closing, however, represents the earliest closing in at least a decade, according to the National Park Service,.

“We continue to get snowfall at high elevations combined with strong winds,” Rocky Mountain National Park superintendent Vaughn Baker said in a statement. “The snow will continue to blow and drift at higher elevations, making snow clearing operations and driving conditions extremely hazardous.”

The road climbs to an elevation of 12,183 feet on the route from Estes Park and Grand Lake. Park visitors can continue to make it as far as the Colorado River Trailhead from the west and Many Parks Curve on the east side.

The scenic route traditionally opens the last week of May for the Memorial Day weekend traffic. Last year, after a dry winter, Trail Ridge Road opened on May 14.

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